The controversial clause in the book entitled, C-SEC Home Economics and Beyond(Management) by Rita Dyer and Norma Maynard, reads: "When two women or two men live together in a relationship as lesbians or gays, they may be considered as a family. They may adopt children or have them through artificial insemination."

Documents viewed by The Gleaner news team from one prominent high school in Kingston showed that 'Same sex' was listed among the types of families. The documents also revealed that an assignment was given for the students to find photos that depict the different family types. Two photos depicting male as well as female homosexual unions were submitted as a part of the assignment and the student was given an A+ for her efforts.

The report says "administrators of the prominent institution" investigated the complaints but were satisfied because "the teacher told her class that homosexual unions were not socially accepted." There are quotes from the usual suspects condemning gays and same-sex relationships—in this case, the president of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica and the Catholic school district.

It's challenging to analyze the homo-hysteria reports from this part of the world, which often are a mixture of fact and fiction. (Or, totally fabricated.) In addition to the undisclosed school and anonymous quotes from "administrators", the approved C-SEC Home Economics and Beyond is marketed under a similar title, Home Economics: A Caribbean Approach (2002), and that version is approved (PDF) by the Ministry of Youth and Education. It's also difficult to believe a five-year-old Caribbean home economics text would offer a gay positive passage, let alone receive approval from the government.

Sigh. That analysis of the homo-hysteria requires logic. Unfortunately, there is no logic to the entrenched homophobia and homo-hysteria on Jamaica